familypediawikiaorg-20200214-history
Campbell to Preston, 6 October 1774
Thwaites and Kellogg, 1905:230 See Letters of Dunmore's War for other letters in T&K. Maj. Arthur Campbell to Col. William Preston. Drapers MSC:3QQ115 ROYAL-OAK Oct. 6, 1774 SIR—The Evening after Mr. Cummins left this, I Received your Letter of ye 1st. Inst, sent out by Paddy Brown; who tho't proper, to carry the Letter past, and it was returned me this day open. I wish it was in my power to humour every Inhabitant, consistant with Justice to the Service; but there is many of them so unreasonably selfish I dispair of succeeding in every case. Paddy Brown is an Old Weaver Body, that lives with one of the Doughertys, he came here one day and applied for to get in for a Spy, I very flatly refused him; he then went off in dudgeon. Upon the alarm of Lammey being taken, Vances & Fowlers Wives with several other Families convened at Mr. Harrisons (58) which lyes upon the Main path to Clinch, in the Rich Valley, opposit to the Town-House, upon the request of several Inhabitants in both sides, I ordered Six Men to be Stationed there for ten Days; two of which was always to be out ranging. Heny. & Joso. Dougherty moved their Families to this side the mountain, disagreeing with ye. Majority of ye. Inhabitants, as to the place to build a Fort. Mr. John Campbells Wife has been in this side the mountain this two months past, and himself Has acted as Ensign to Capt. Smith, on Clynch ever since that Gent, was Ordered on Duty. Archibald & John Buchanans Familys, (59) and Andw. Lammeys came here; who has continued in this side yet; Capt. Wilson went Immediately with 15 Men, and ranged near a Week in the Neighbourhood where Lammey was taken, and he left four of his best Woodsmen with the Neighbours, for several days longer. I also ordered two of the most trusty persons I could get, for to act as Spys along Clynch Mountain for io days which they performed I am satisfyed faithfully; besides they Six Men, at Harrisons, I ordered Mrs. Vance & Fowlers Wife 3 Men a Week particularly, to asist about saving their fodder, which they got removed with safety. All the Men stationed in this side Clynch, I give particular directions that they should if possible, be Young Men ; and be ready to march to other places if called upon ; Indeed when I first Ordered these men I had a Scheme in it, to send such good hands as could be best Spared out of them over to fill up Capt. Looneys and Smiths Companys on Clynch when the fears of the people in this side was a little abated. It has fell out extremely unlucky, that both them Gentlemens ranging Stations, was very thin when ye Indians came. Capt. Smith having to wait until he was reinforced from this side before he could pursue. And at Black- mores the other Day the Indians coursd one of the Negroes they took, near a quarter of an Hour, several times in view of the Fort. In short the most of the people in this Country, seem to have a private plan of their own, for their own particular defence. *The people in the Wolf-Hill Settlement, (60) will have the Indians, to come up the Valley & North fork, opposite to them, and then make a Right-Angle to their habitations *they people on ye South fork will have the Enemy, to steal Slyly, up the Iron Mountain, and make one Grand attack, on the Head of Holston, and Sweep the River down before them; *The Head of New River will have it, that the Cherokees will fetch a Compass, round Wattago A Settlement, and come down New River, on a particular Search for their Scalps. *The Rich-Valley and North fork people will have Sandy the dangerous pass, for proof of which they quote] former and recent Instances; to wit Stalnaker & Henrys Family being carried out the same road. (61) You may thus see what a task one would have to remove every ones fears; I wish I could be instrumental in defending from real ones, imaginary dangers would give me less anxiety. I am Sir Your most Obedient ARTHUR CAMPBELL (58) The Harrisons were a prominent family of western Virginia but whether connected with the Frederick County Harrisons, from whom the presidents descended, is uncertain although it is probable, for a Benjamin Harris on was killed on Holston in 1754. See Preston register, in Draper MSS IQQ83.-ED. (59) In the early days of Augusta County, Col. John Bu chanan was deputy surveyor for Col. James Patton, and lo cated many valuable tracts of land upon Holston River, where his descendents lived. Archibald lived on the North Fork, and the August court of this year (1774) had ordered a road surveyed thither from Arthur Campbell's. John Bu chanan served ^s lieutenant of the 7th Virginia continental regiment, and was killed in battle in 1777.—ED. (60) The present Abingdon, Washington County.—En. (61) Stalnaker's family was attacked June 18, 1755. The reference to Henry's family is to the incident mentioned ante, pp. 192, 193.—ED. A "Wattago Settlement"---presumably this is the Watauga Settlement in northeastern Tennessee. many of the participants in Dunmore's War would later play a role in the Watauga Settlement, nd the attempt to establish what is now referred to as the "Lost State of Franklin". ---Bill 17:38, 18 October 2007 (UTC) Category:Dunmore's War